Forget Wharton; Modi to address, impress NRIs in US on Sat

New Delhi, March 9: For Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi the snub from Wharton School in US does not hold much importance. In fact, Modi is all set to address and impress Indian Diaspora or NRIs in US on Saturday, March 9 through a video Conference.

"Narendra Modi live speech, Edison, New Jersey, Chicago, Illinois on March 09, 2013 from 7-9 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)," reads a scroll on the website of the Overseas Friends of the BJP USA.

"Narendrabhai will address the Indian diaspora LIVE from Karnavati (Ahmedabad)," the portal states.

Two venues, namely, TV Asia Auditorium, 76 National Road, Edison, New Jersey, as well as Holiday Inn, 3405 Algonquin Road, Rolling Meadows, Illinois 60008, have been listed on the website of the Overseas Friends of the BJP USA.

On Sunday, the US Wharton School of Business had cancelled the Gujarat CM's keynote address slated for later this month, after an uproar from a section of university professors and students, triggering reactions in India.

Modi is favourite among NRIs, as he is the brain behind Gujarat's Developmental model, which has changed the very face of the state.

Even in recent times, several senior BJP leaders have come out in the open to support Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate. As a mark of protest against cancelling Modi's key note address, Shiv Sena leader Suresh Prabhu also cancelled his visit to Wharton, saying it was not only an insult to the Gujarat Chief Minister, but also to the entire nation.

Modi has addressed the Indian Diaspora in the US through by video conference several times.